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Notes: Tejeda gets an extra day

Notes: Tejeda gets an extra day

ARLINGTON -- Pitcher Robinson Tejeda is experiencing some tenderness in his left hamstring, and the Rangers are giving him an extra day of rest.

Mike Wood will open the Rangers' three-game series against the New York Yankees on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, and Tejeda will pitch on Wednesday. Both pitched in last Thursday's doubleheader.

"There are a couple of things bothering me, but it starts with the hamstring," Tejeda said. "We want to make sure I'm not hurt more and I don't lose more time."

Tejeda, who is 3-2 with a 3.89 ERA, has easily been the Rangers' best starter, and they already have Kevin Millwood on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Tejeda also has some aching in his right arm, and the Rangers are concerned that he might be overcompensating for the hamstring muscle.

"It was great; it was fun; it was awesome," Gagne said after throwing 27 pitches in a simulated game on Sunday.

Gagne is on the DL with a strained right hip, but he will be activated on Tuesday when the Rangers play the Yankees. Gagne has no interest in a rehab assignment, and the Rangers aren't going to push him in that direction.

"He's bored by this stuff," Connor said. "He thrives on adrenaline. He thrives on game situations. He threw all his pitches with no problems with anything. He's ready to go."

Manager Ron Washington said, "The most important thing to me is he's not grabbing his rear."

Kata forces himself into lineup: Washington wasn't planning on putting Matt Kata in the lineup on Sunday. But Kata had three hits in Saturday's game and went into Sunday's game hitting .387.

He was the only Rangers player hitting over .300, so Washington put him back in the lineup against Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett.

"Like I said, the players make the lineup," Washington said.

Nelson Cruz was out of the lineup for the seventh time in the last 11 games. Sammy Sosa also got a day off on Sunday. Washington said it had nothing to do with Sosa being hitless since being hit by a pitch on Thursday.

"He's just pulling off the ball," Washington said. "Sammy's not shy. We'll keep watching him, and if he continues to do that, we'll talk to him."

Catalanotto improving: Frank Catalanotto, on the DL with acute biceps tendinitis, is showing significant improvement. Catalanotto said he doesn't think he'll need a cortisone shot, and he is expecting to begin swinging a bat again. He hasn't resumed throwing, but he is hoping he'll be ready to come off the DL a week from Tuesday.

"That's what we're shooting for," Catalanotto said. "Right now, it's feeling a lot better, but the biggest thing is that I haven't started throwing yet."

He said it: "We're not here worrying about August or September, but we want to make sure those games mean something." -- Shortstop Michael Young

Briefly: Troy Glaus said he should have been given an error on Young's third-inning double on Saturday. Said Glaus: "I didn't get a glove on it, but that's definitely a play that I should make. In my opinion, that's an error all the way." ... Jamey Wright (shoulder inflammation) has begun throwing off the mound but is still at least 10 days from going to the Minor Leagues and pitching on medical rehabilitation assignment. ... John Rheinecker, who has been sidelined since the start of Spring Training with a back problem, is expected to make his first appearance in a game on Monday in extended Spring Training. ... Boxing promoter Don King threw out the first pitch for Sunday's game. ... John Lackey (Friday), Bartolo Colon (Saturday), Ervin Santana (Sunday) and Jered Weaver (Monday) are the Angels' scheduled pitchers for next weekend's series in Arlington.

Saturday Minor stars: Top performances from Saturday's Minor League games:

Gold: Class A Bakersfield pitcher Bear Bay pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven in a 2-0 victory over San Jose. He is 3-1 with a 2.98 ERA.

Silver: Triple-A Oklahoma outfielder Marlon Byrd went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and two RBIs in a 7-6 victory over Omaha.

Bronze: Class A Clinton pitcher Omar Poveda raised his record to 3-0 with a 2.19 ERA by holding Lansing to two runs on four hits and two walks in a 3-2 victory.

Up next: The Rangers are off on Monday and then open a three-game series with the Yankees on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Wood pitches for the Rangers against left-hander Andy Pettitte for the Yankees. The Rangers have lost nine of their last 14 games at Yankee Stadium.

T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.